Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump held talks in Busan, not Gyeongju where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting is taking place on the 31st, drawing attention to the backdrop. Analysts said the decision prioritized security and information protection over diplomatic form.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 29th local time, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "President Xi and President Trump are scheduled to meet in Busan to exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern," adding, "The two sides will discuss strategic and long-term issues and seek to create new guidelines and momentum for the stable development of U.S.-China relations."
The two leaders' meeting began at 11 a.m. on the 30th Korea time and ended after about 1 hour and 40 minutes. A direct face-to-face between Xi and Trump was the first in six years since 2019, carrying symbolic significance as U.S.-China tensions have recently flared again.
Observers said the choice of Busan as the venue went beyond simple scheduling and reflected diplomatic calculation. Initially, the "Narae Maru Reception Hall" inside Gimhae International Airport was cited as a leading venue, and the meeting indeed took place there. Narae Maru is a high-security facility hosting the Republic of Korea Air Force's 5th Tactical Fighter Wing.
On this, Kang Jun-young, a professor in the Department of Chinese Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, told SCMP, "The Busan air base is a highly secure zone with restricted external access, making it easier to guard against information leaks and contingencies," adding, "It is highly likely that both the United States and China separately chose the venue with security advantages in mind."
Narae Maru also served as a venue for high-level leader receptions during the 2005 APEC summit in Busan, and was used as a meeting room at the 2019 South Korea-ASEAN special summit. Although it is a military facility, it has already been proven suitable as a protocol space for foreign guests.
However, it is unusual for the Chinese side to hold a sensitive meeting at an air base. While visiting the United States in the past, President Xi landed at Andrews Air Force Base, but there was no precedent for holding talks inside a military facility. By contrast, President Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska in Aug.
Given the tense phase between the two countries, SCMP said the venue choice made clear the nature of a "security-centered meeting." In particular, the United States and China recently reached a "preliminary agreement" at trade working-level talks in Kuala Lumpur, and the Busan meeting became a venue to fine-tune key issues such as extending the tariff truce and supply chain matters based on that outcome.
Regarding the first meeting with Xi in six years, President Trump said, "I think it was an amazing meeting," adding, "We reached agreement on almost everything in a very acceptable form," and "Many decisions were made and not much remains."